Bait
by Deathcomessoon
Summary: Sakura wants to hate Itachi, but it's harder once you know the truth. A little bit of Itachi x Sakura


This is pretty random, and might not make sense.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

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><p>"Ouch!" Sakura yelped, a kunai slicing through her shoulder. "Jerk!"<p>

The Cloud shinobi didn't even react as the pink haired girl's blood sprayed his face.

"Little girl's shouldn't fight men's battles," He mocked.

"Oh, shut up." She slashed his jugular with her kunai.

His dead body fell to the ground with a low thump.

"Ow," She complained to no one as she healed her arm.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto burst through the bushes. "Have you found teme yet?"

"No I got in a little scuffle with a Cloud nin." She brushed off her skirt. "But I killed him."

"Wait till Sasuke sees how strong you've gotten!" Naruto threw his arm around her shoulder. "He'll be shocked for sure!"

Sakura gave him a big smile and gripped his hand, pulling him through the bushes into a clearing.

She gave a surprised gasp as she took in the scene before her.

Laying in the destroyed rubble of what once was a large building was Itachi Uchiha.

The man who is solely responsible for Sasuke's defection, but she can't bring herself to hate him as he struggles for his next breath as blood drips from his body.

His clothes were ripped into ribbons, barely covering him. And his skin wasn't in a much better state.

The medic in Sakura is screaming at her to help him, to check if there is any hope.

Naruto's grip on her small hand was quickly becoming painful.

She pulled her hand from his and walked to Itachi's side, keeping her guard up for a trap.

Slowly she knelled by his side flinching as his blood red eyes flickered to her.

She removed a grass green handkerchief from her back pocket and wiped the blood and dirt from his face, being as gentle as possible with him.

She noticed he was quite handsome underneath at the blood and dirt that was stuck to his face, he also looked dead tired.

Not tired in the sleep deprivation sense, but in the tired of life sense.

He didn't want to live, he was ready to die.

"S-stop," He stuttered, lifting a shaking hand to push her away.

Blood escaped his lips as he began to cough.

"Naruto, go search for Sasuke." Sakura called to the frozen male. "He should be nearby if Itachi is in this bad a condition."

Naruto nodded and turned tail running in the opposite direction.

Sakura set an chakra covered hand on his chest, wincing as she took in the damage done to him.

Slowly she began to repair it, numbing his body slowly.

Her healing him was considered treachery to her village, but she couldn't stand to leave him in pain.

And she knew the truth. He didn't deserve to die as a villain towards the village he loved so dearly.

His red eyes had reverted back to his normal onyx black with lack of chakra.

"Why," His voice was much steadier as the pink haired medic healed his lungs.

It was a weird sensation as her chakra flooded his system, but not completely unpleasant.

"You were dying." She didn't speak again.

"I deserve it." His eyes filled with a foreign emotion as he thought of his younger brother.

"I know the truth." She lifted his head slightly to set it on her lap. "About the clan. I'm sorry."

She opened a bottle of water from her pack and slowly helped him drink.

"Hn." He wanted to stand and walk away, but had no chakra left to do so.

Sakura leaned down to press her lips to the older man's forehead.

He was shocked at the compassion the younger female was showing him.

He felt the rain before he saw it. Heavy large drops of cool water fell on them both as the girl slumped over slightly to shield his face.

"You can't die." Sakura stated, her green eyes shining with tears. "If you die and Sasuke finds out the truth he will never forgive himself."

She looked up towards the sky, tears mixing with the rain.

"And then he'll never come home." She slid Itachi's head from her lap gently setting it on the cold ground.

He was almost certain she was going to leave him there, but she surprised him by taking his newly healed body into her arms.

She was stronger than she looked, easily lifting him as though he weighed no more than a small child.

Sakura made her way through the trees to a small camp sight where three tents were already made.

She hurried out of the rain into the closest one, where a red sleeping bag lay.

She softly set him down, and began to remove Itachi's ripped clothing. He was left in his blood stained boxers.

She removed a towel from a nearby pack and carefully dried his body, cleaning off the blood that covered his skin and drying his dripping hair.

After undressing him she exited the tent only to return moments later with obnoxious orange clothing.

But they were clean, so they would make due.

"These are Naruto's extras. He seems about your size." The teenage girl helped him sit up and pulled the shirt over his head.

She slowly pulled on the orange pants that were a couple inches too short, but not horrible.

Sakura laid him back down and covered him with a thick blanket.

"Thank you," He noticed how the younger girl flinched when he spoke, and realized she was slightly afraid of him. "I do not understand why you are helping me."

She surprised him by smiling sweetly. "Everybody deserves some kindness."

He noticed she was quite beautiful when she smiled. She shyly laid down beside him resting her eyes, though she was in the presence of an potential enemy.

She quickly fell asleep exhaustion catching up to her, from weeks of sleepless nights.

He didn't plan on attacking her anytime soon, especially since he would probably lose in the state he is in.

He grabbed a corner of the blanket and covered her with it.

She curled closer to his side.

He reached out and fingered a strand of her pale pink hair, he wonder if she was the reason his brother recruited the loud red haired girl.

"Sakura-chan!" A loud voice yelled, as a blond boy threw open the tents flap.

Itachi quickly dropped his hand.

"Yeah?" She asked sleepily looking around the tent. "Naruto?"

"You brought Itachi here?" Naruto was shocked as he watched his best friend crawl up from under the covers.

"Did you find Sasuke?" Sakura stretched her arms in the arm and yawned like a tired cat.

"No, he was already long gone." Naruto plopped down beside her, watching Itachi from the corner of his eye.

"He's harmless right now Naruto," Sakura crossed her legs and smiled. "He's completely out of chakra and still mostly blind."

Itachi looked at her shocked.

"It's obvious Sasuke couldn't have beaten you unless you had a handicap." She pressed her fingers to his temples lightly. "Once we get back in Konoha I'll study the human eye and heal you."

"You're bringing him back with us?" Naruto looked confused as Sakura checked over Itachi's eyes.

"Yeah," Her own gaze unfocused. "I'm going to inform Tsunade soon."

Itahci wanted to listen to what she was saying, but found it extremely hard as her chakra flooded his eyes.

It felt as though his eyes weren't as strained.

"How do you plan on getting him there?" Naruto was sure Itachi wouldn't come without a fight.

"I'm going to place a temporary seal on his chakra," She removed her hands from his face and pressed a pressure point on his neck, rendering him unconscious.

Sakura bit her thumb for a summoning jutsu.

A small slug appeared in front of her.

"Yes Miss Sakura?" The small slug asked.

"I need you to inform Tsunade that Team Kakashi is bringing Itachi Uchiha back to Konoha, and to check the records on the Uchiha Massacre." Sakura told the small slug.

"Of course," It disappeared in a small cloud of smoke.

"Naruto do you mind me borrowing a bit of your chakra?" She asked already forming the hand signs necessary.

He nodded and way and set his hand on her shoulder.

She pulled up rested her palms on Itachi's abdomen, and started the process.

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><p>When Kakashi felt the spike in chakra at the campsite the last thing he expected to see was Sakura, with Naruto's help, sealing away the chakra of Itachi Uchiha.<p>

When Sakura finished she gave Naruto a huge smile and promptly passed out on the body of Itachi, who had just awoken from what looked to be a forced sleep.

Itachi swiftly caught her and laid her down on the blanket next to him.

He carefully covered her body, before pulling up his shirt to stare at the now pulsing seal.

The first thing he noticed was it was a S-ranked seal that the Hokage herself must have taught the young medic.

The second thing he noticed was that he couldn't dispel it, only the person who sealed his chakra could do it.

And that would mean the little pink haired medic would have to.

"Itachi Uchiha," A voice said, "Long time no see."

Itachi looked up to see Kakashi Hatake, smiling at him from under his mask.

"Hatake," Itachi nodded and laid back down.

"So it seems my female student has taken a interest in you." Kakashi entered the tent and sat next to Naruto who had decided to take a quick nap.

"Hn." Was Itachi's reply.

"She wouldn't have saved you unless she knows something we don't." Kakashi pulled out his orange book and began to read.

Itachi didn't answer him, merely continued to stare at the roof of the tent.

"She loves Sasuke doesn't she?" His questioned seemed random, but wasn't.

"When she was twelve she declared her love to him," He paused thinking back. "He knocked her out and left her on a bench as he left the village."

Itachi looked at the petite girl beside him.

"It destroyed her. She wasn't the same for years, and then on top of that Naruto left the village to train." Kakashi gave the sleeping girl a look full of pity. "She trained her hardest under Tsunade. She has recently surpassed her as a medic."

"Foolish little brother." Kakashi noted the way Itachi's eyes softened while looking at the only female member of his team.

"Well get some sleep!" Kakashi tossed Naruto over his shoulder. "We're leaving for Konoha tomorrow. And remember you have no chakra and are camping with four other shinobi. You will wake one of us."

The last part was a warning, but Itachi didn't pay any mind to it. He was too weak to get far anyway.

He looked at sleeping body beside his, and wondered why The Copy Cat Ninja would leave her alone in a tent with him.

He watched as she struggled to find a comfortable position, and pulled her closer to him. He put more of the covers over her.

She opened her eyes sleepily and he froze.

"Hello 'Tachi," She reached out to pat his head lightly. "You look like Sasuke, but you're prettier."

"I'm pretty?" He watched her with amusement.

"Yep!" She curled closer. "Very! And you're nicer! I bet you wouldn't have left me on a bench."

She said the last part slightly bitterly, but then smiled and closed her eyes.

"No I would not have." She was already back asleep, and had buried her face in his chest.

He tensed slightly before relaxing. He hadn't been touched in a way that wasn't violent for years. She was simply trying to stay warm, yes that was it.

But he had to admit her warmth felt nice, and she was soft.

He wasn't sure how he's brother could leave such a compassionate girl behind, if he had someone who cared for him like she did for his brother he wouldn't have done that.

Then again he massacred his entire family on the councils orders.

Which apparently the young medic found out.

He wasn't sure if she would have left him to die if she hadn't known.

He could have said no to the council's orders, but another shinobi wouldn't have had a problem with killing his little brother.

And he wanted peace. He had always been a pacifist, he took after his mother more than his father.

His mother hadn't wanted him to become a ninja at all, but he had to due to being the heir of the Uchiha clan.

The sleeping girl cuddled against him moved slightly, rolled over and went back to sleep.

He would have left her, but she started to shiver. So he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back against his chest.

She tensed for a moment and he was afraid she was going to wake, but she simply curled closer and relaxed.

* * *

><p>"Itachi wake up." Itachi woke up to large green eyes a few inches from his own.<p>

"Sakura?" He questioned, blinking his failing eye sight a couple times to assure she was actually there.

"Do you mind letting me go? I need to pack and check over your injures." He looked down to find his arms locked around her waist as she rested on his chest.

He released her quickly.

"I apologize for that." He sat up and looked around the tent finding not much had changed.

Sakura quickly got up and began to pack her things rolling up the blanket and sleeping bag.

"Do you mind turning around while I change?" She asked sheepishly, looking at the floor of the tent.

"I'll wait outside." He stood and made his way to the front. He slipped out the flap and nearly ran into Naruto who was eating some instant Ramen. "Yes?"

"You're wearing my clothes." He was eating and talking at the same time.

"Unfortunately I am." Itachi sat on the ground. "I will return them after I purchase some more. These smell like Ramen."

"RAMEN IS AMAZING!" Naruto shouted, clearly offended.

"I did not mean to insult you. I was simply stating a fact." Itachi looked around the camp seeing a boy he hadn't met before.

The boy smiled a very large very fake smile at him, and returned to packing up his tent.

"Tell Ugly to hurry we do not have all day." The boy tilted his head to the side and smiled.

Seeing Itachi's confused look Naruto explained.

"That's Sai and he mean Sakura." Naruto had started on a new cup of Ramen, much to Itachi's disgust.

"I told you not to call me that!" Sakura yelled, walking from the tent in clean clothes.

"Whatever you say Ugly." Sai was now packing up Kakashi's tent.

Sakura growled something to herself about death and blood and began to pack up her own tent.

Itachi stood to help her, giving her a kind look.

"Thank you!" She beamed at him brightly.

"Hn." He gave a Sasuke worthy replied and continued to help her.

"Seems like Ugly has a boyfriend." Sai sat down and pulled out his drawing pad to draw a squirrel that had happened to run through the camp.

"Shut up Sai!" Naruto growled glaring at the oblivious boy.

"Hey Team. Let's go!" Kakashi said, appearing out of nowhere.

By Noon they were back inside the borders of Fire country.

Itachi was having a hard time keeping up seeing as he didn't have his chakra, but Sakura stayed behind the others with him and chatted through the journey.

Soon the gates of Konoha were visible and Sakura was clearly more excited than everyone else.

Sakura grabbed Itachi's hand and hurried towards the village, not even noticing she had.

Tsunade was waiting by the gate with two anbu captains.

"Tsunade!" Sakura yelled, hugging her teacher.

Itachi waited patiently beside the young medic.

"It's great to have you back Sakura!" Tsunade turned to him. Smile now gone. "Itachi Uchiha you will be under watch by anbu until we have deemed you trustworthy. You will do 1 year of committee service."

Tsunade looked at Sakura with a wicked grin.

"You will also be moving into the household of Sakura Haruno and will report all actions to her, seeing as she is the one who saved your life. You will may have the choice of becoming a shinobi after two years of being closely watched. And after three years you will be pardoned of your current crimes towards Konoha the Village Hidden in the Leaves."

"Yay!" Sakura hugged him tightly. She was smiling widely.

"Don't make me regret this Uchiha." Tsunade growled, her eyes narrowing.

"I will not." He answered looking at Sakura who's smile almost got bigger.

"Why are you so happy Ugly?" Sai asked, staring at Sakura confused.

"Because, stupid, Itachi deserves to be happy." Sakura frowned. "And now we have bait!"

"For what?" Naruto asked.

"Sasuke." Sakura answered looping her arm through Itachi's. "Once he hears his brother is alive and well in Konoha he will come here."

"Hn." Itachi frowned at the idea of being used as bait.

"And besides I like Itachi more!" She smiled at up him fondly.

"Ugly has a crush on Uchiha's older brother?" Sai looked confused.

"Shut up!" A blush painted her cheeks red. "We're leaving."

Sakura grabbed Itachi's arm and pulled him along with her.

Itachi smirked.

Suddenly being bait didn't sound so bad.

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><p>Please Review. And don't flame. I know it didn't turn out to great, but hey I tried.<p>

I don't think it was too horrible.


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